US1678787A

US1678787A - Leaching apparatus

Info

Publication number: US1678787A
Application number: US56916A
Authority: US
Inventors: Walter L Remick
Original assignee: Individual
Current assignee: Individual
Priority date: 1925-09-17
Filing date: 1925-09-17
Publication date: 1928-07-31
Anticipated expiration: 1945-07-31

Description

July 31, 192s. 1,6578587 W. L. REMICK LEAGHING APPARATUS' Filed sept. 1v, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 1 ano: nu'

Jly 31, 41928. 1,678,787

W. L. REMICK LEACHING APPARATUS Filed sept. 17, 1925 2 sheets-sheet 2 Patented July 31, 1928.-

.WALTER I. REMICK, OF PHILADELPHIA, PENNSYLVANIA.

LEACHING APPARATUS.

Application mea september 17, 1925. serial No. 56,916;

My invention consists in a new and useful improvement in apparatus for thev removal of soluble constituents of finely divided solids. It is particularly designed for the treatment of the ore, caliche, for the extraction of the sodium nitrate therefrom.

The particularly novel and useful feature of my invention consists in the continuous treatment of the pulverized ore to produce l0 a clear effluent and complete extraction of the sodium nitrate, with-consumptionofthe minimum amount of dissolving solution. This is an extremely important and valuable feature, since by reason of the arid climatic 16 conditions essential to the existence of sodium nitrate in a natural condition the supply of water is obviously extremely limited.

In the drawings filed herewith I have illustrated one specific embodiment of my im'- 29 proved apparatus for the practice of myimproved process, but it is to be distinctly understood that I dov not consider my invention limited by such illustration but refer for its scope to the claims appended hereto.

In thedrawings:

Fig. 1 is a vertical section of my apparatus.

Fig. 2 is a horizontal section onthe lline 2-2 of Fig. 1.

Fig. 3 is a horizontal section on the line 3 3 of Fig. 1.

I provide a suitable tank 1 with lining 2.

and top \3 and division loor-4 separating the tank 1 linto an upper compartment 1a and a lower compartment 1b. Each compartment is provided with heater coils 5.'

Through the top'3 there is provided a tubular feed shell 6. Suitably suspended from the rails 7 there is a rotatable shaft 8 pass- 4U ing centrally .through the top 3 and the upper compartment 1a of the tank 1, to which is attached the hollow head 9 from which radiate the pipes 10 provided with a series of tangentially downwardly projected disposed nozzles 11. Attached to the hollow head 9 is the downwardly extending supply pipe 12 passing through the floor 4, extending into the lower compartment 1" of the tank 1. A guard 13 is provided on the floor 4 surrounding the upper lpart yof the pipe 12. Suspended on the lower end of the pipe 12 is the hollow head 14v provided with the radial pipes 15 provided with nozzles 16 disposed similarly to the nozzles 11. From 65 the head 14 a supply pipe 17 depends surrounding nipple 18 which is attached to T 19 opening through the bottom 1 ofthe tank l. To one side of the tank 1, I provide a centrifugal pump P, the discharge end of which is connected to a pipe 2() which passes through the T 19, nipple 18 and pipe 17 and headl 14 and Iis connected with head 9' through the pipe 12. Near the upper part of the upper compartment 1a of the tank 1,

-I provide an intake pipev 21 which passes downwardly through the tank 1, emerging through the bottom 1 and is attached to the intake side of the ump P. An intake pipe 21 with valve 21 connected with the pipe 21 is located near the .upper part of the lower compartment 1b of the tank 1. A

by-pass 22 between the

pipes

20 and 21 around the pump P is also provided.

I provide a second pump P from the discharge side of which extends the pipe 23 communicating with the head 14 through the T 19, niptple /18 and pipe 17. Near the upper part o the lower compartment 1l of the tank 1, I provide an intake pipe 24 with valve 24 which is connected to the intake side of the pump P. To this pipe 24 there ,is connected a water supply pipe 25 with valve 25. I provide a by-pass 26 with valve 26 between the

pipes

23 and 24 around the pump P.

In the floor 4 there is provided a sump or discharge pit 27 provided with a discharge tube 28 extending into the lower compartment l". vIn the sump 27 there is provided the injector 29 suitably connected through the by-pass 26 with the pipe 23.

The tankl is provided at its circumferential launder 30 which discharges into the filter F adjacent the tank 1 and provided with suitable rotatable filter discs 3 1 and Scrapers 32 and hopper 33. Below the hopper 33, I provide a cross 34 connected by pipe 35 with 'valve 36 to the hopper 33,' Aby pipe 37 with valve 38 to the pipe 24,

by pipe 39 with valve 40 to the interior of the compartment 1b at a level slightly above the plane of the pipes 15', and to pipe 41 with valve 42 for discharge. From the suction pump P of the filter F there is the discharge pipe 43 with valve 44. The pump P is also provided with'the pipe 45 Vwith valve 46, which communicates with the interior of the upper compartment l.

The bottom 1c is provided with a slotted opening 47 communicating with a discharge trough 48 provided with a suitable screw conveyor 49.

top with the from its ore, caliche.v

This machine is intendedprimarily for use as a, continuous leaching or extracting machine for the removal of soluble constituents of nely divided solids. One of its principal uses, as above pointed out, is the continuous extraction of sodium nitrate The solid material, containing the soluble constituent, is fed into-the machine through (tailings)v pass through pipe lower compartment 1b and are iinally removed from the machine through the screw conveyor 49. Such a device may also be used for removing the sand from the upper compartment into the lower compartment, instead of pipe 28 and jet from pipe 29.v

Y The dissolving solution enters the machine through pipe through pump 17 whence it is 25 and valve 25', asses P ,-pipe 23, T 19 an pipe distributed through the radial pipes 15 and discharged from the nozzles 16 in a downward and backward directi'on. The solution is removed from the lower compartment 1b to the upper compartment 1 through the pipe v21', entering the suction pipe 21 of the pump P, thence to the upper compartment 1a through the pump P, pipe 20, arms 10 and nozzles 11. The solution finally overflows into the launder 30 and thence into the filter F.

The

arms

10 and 15 are caused -to rotate by the force of the jets of liquid from the nozzles. The liquid is taken into the pumps P and P through

intakes

21 and 24 respectively. Pumps P and P are, therefore, cir'- culating pumps which remove solution from the tops o the compartments 1a and 1b, and discharge it against the bottoms, Vthus causing agitation of the sand in the an upward current in the tank 1, as far as the pump intakes 21 and 21. The bottom compartment 1? acts mainly as a final washing tank to prevent losses of the dissolved material in the waste sand discharged by the screw conveyer 49.

There is in such extraction processes usuali' ly an absolute necessity of discharging a perfectly clear solution from the machine. This is due to the subsequent treatment of the solution which precludes the presence of solids in the solution.

The lfilter F'is attached'to the extractor `as 1 an integral part 'of my machine. The' filter may be operated in such a manner as to dispose of the solid and liquid products inthe manner and for the purpose desired. If a cake of, low'moisture content is desired,

`the discs 31 may be operated only partially submerged in liquid, and under a vacuum.

la. It is gradually bottoms a 1d while the dewatered solid will be discharged outside filter F. If the object be to thicken the solids only and deliver a clear effluent, the discs 31 are submerged and the liquid is drawn through the filtering medium, while the solids are scraped off the revolving discs by the Scrapers 32, and settle to the hopper 33 of the -ilter F, whence they are removed through pipe 35 either being returned to the lower compartment 1h through pipe 24 and pump P or through pipe 39, or they may be discharged to `an outside container through pipe 41. The solution removed by the filter F may be conveyed to another processthrough pipe 43, or returned to the tank 1 through pipe 45 for re-use in the process.

In the nitrate industry in Chile, the filter F would serve the purpose of clarifying the saturated solution of sodium nitrate, which then asses to crystallizing pans where it is cooled). The sodium nitrate crystallizes out, leaving a mother liquor which is returned to the machine to dlssolve more sodium ntrate. The steam coils 5 are used to heat the solution to such a degree that the solution, when cooled, will be supersaturated, with the result that the salt will crystallize out.v

The' machine is particularly designed to` i water is introduced through pipe 25 into the lower com artment 1b to wash the waste solids as't oroughly as possible.

Having describe my invention, whatv I claim is:

. 1. In an apparatus for the removal of soluble constituents of solids, the -combination of means for passing the solids through a solution in two successive stages; means for filtering the solution; means for re-introducing the filtered solids into the unfiltered solutlon ata point at which the solidsy are passing throu h said solution in the secondy ary stage; an means for re-introducing the filtered solution into the unfiltered solution at a' point at which the solids are passing through said .solution in-the primary stage.

2. In an apparatus for the removal of soluble constituents of solids,V the combination of a tank having an up er and a lower compartment; a feed shell or solids entering said tank; a supply pipe for a solution entering said tank; an overflow launder; a filter 1nto which said launder discharges; a

lll

hopper for the filtered solids; a discharge pipe for the filtered solution; a pipe connecting said hopper with the lower compartment of said tank; and a pipe connecting said filter discharge pipe with the upper compartment, of said tank.

3. In an apparatus for the removal of soluble constituents of solids, the combination of a tank divided into an upper and a lower compartment; a supply pipe for filling both compartments with a solution;l a system of pipes and pumps for circulating said solution through both compartments; a feed shell for feeding solids tothe upper compartment; a sump and injector for transferring said solids from the upper to the lower compartment; a conveyer for discharging said solids from the lower compartf' ment; a discharge pipe for removing a p0rtion of the solution fromthe upper compart- W. L. REMICK.